


just need a new direction

by thebitterbeast



Series: coldatomweek2k16 [4]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, ColdAtom Week 2016, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Social Media, coldatomweek2k16, does a forum count as social media because that's what I used
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-05-01
Packaged: 2018-06-05 16:44:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6712915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebitterbeast/pseuds/thebitterbeast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ray does not intend to start interacting with anybody on the forum Cisco links him to, but when he stumbles upon a thread denouncing the Flash, he can't help himself. Especially when some of those people start denouncing Captain Cold too.</p><p>He does not expect to make a friend out of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	just need a new direction

**Author's Note:**

> It's a few days late, but I finally got it done. It got away from me. (Story of my life, huh?) But I'm quite proud of how it turned out. It wouldn't have happened the way it did without the help of [Wyn](http://bobbimorse-ward.tumblr.com/) and [Bhav](http://bobbimorse-ward.tumblr.com/).

By the time the team had gotten rid of Savage and returned to 2016, the only thing Ray wanted to do was disappear into a lab. He had set out with his company to build things to help people, and yet he had seen those very things he had created turned into weapons. He had tried so hard to be a hero, and yet – Ray knew he was not meant for this life.

It was easy to drop under the radar when the team all had places and people to get back to. He smiled easily at them, promised to keep in touch, laughed when they insinuated he would be taking back Palmer Tech in no time – and then let his grin drop after he watched them walk away.

He got the necessary documents handled to be legally declared alive again, but called Felicity and told her he did not want the company back. He wanted to build things, not be in the limelight.

Ray was done with pretending to be someone he was not.

He got himself a lab first, an apartment second. Ray did not want to move back to the place he had been living in before his accident. Before traveling to many different times and seeing too much that even he could not find the good in it. He just wanted to try and fix things, before they would break like he had seen.

One of the few people he kept in touch with was Cisco. They would email back and forth, especially when they were working on projects they thought the other would be interested in. And while Cisco would attempt to convince Ray to visit Central City, to keep in touch with all the other people he had gotten to know since creating the ATOM suit, he was also one of the few people to understand just why Ray had let himself drop under the radar. He understood _why_ Ray wanted to disappear.

Ray appreciated him all the more for it.

But Cisco did drag Ray into a conversation he would have preferred to avoid. In Cisco’s defense, Ray was pretty sure he had not meant it. Cisco just had a habit of linking Ray to all sorts of discussions and articles, and Ray had made the mistake of getting invested in one of them.

Which was how he found himself a part of a forum debating the merits of the masked heroes, or vigilantes, as some of the major news channels were still calling them.

Ray used to be one of the people championing these masked groups. The fact that he knew most of the people behind the masks meant that he did not hate them as some people did. But he was also a lot more critical of them, of himself. He was not the ATOM anymore, but sometimes he itched to keep adding on to the suit.

And then he would remember the future he had seen, and would hesitate. The less he tried to play the hero, the better.

He was better off creating more accessible technology for today, rather than trying to build something that could potentially be turned into weapons.

These were the thoughts rattling around his head as he browsed the forum. Majority of the threads he came across were people claiming to know who was behind the masks. Ray avoided most of those. Some, though, were more serious conversations on the destruction sometimes left behind in the masks’ pursuit of justice.

Were they right to go around the law the way they did? Why were they not being held accountable for the losses around them? Things like that, questions Ray had once answered with _“They’re doing their best to help people, isn’t that a good thing?”_ and now agreed with on some level.

He had no strong urge to respond to any of the threads. They were interesting to read, to mentally construct answers and retorts – until he came across a thread that was blaming the rise of metahumans in Central City on the Flash.

Say what you would about most masks, the Flash _was_ one of the best around. He genuinely wanted to help people, he tried to minimize the damage to the people and places around him – hell, Ray knew for a fact that Barry had made a deal with Captain Cold and his Rogues in order to create some semblance of organized chaos in Central City instead of simply letting the self-styled villains roam free.

He clicked on the title of the thread and began to skim the post and the replies. The original poster was simply trying to rile up the other members of the forum to side with them in creating an anti-Flash sentiment. For the most part, it seemed to be working.

One user was arguing against the original post though. Ray noticed that the responses to the lone dissenting voice were ignoring their very valid points defending the Flash, and instead insulting them for their choice in username and profile and attacking their character.

Ray saw red. It was one thing to have a discussion on an open forum, it was completely different to besmirch someone for having a different opinion. He knew it was a common thing on the internet, but his annoyance at the way the users on the thread were talking about Barry was spilling over.

He quickly set up an account and typed a furious response to the original poster and the other users he was mentally referring to as their minions.

> **@letssciencethisshit** : So according to most of you, the Flash is the cause of all the problems in Central City. Never mind the fact that without the Flash, the men calling themselves the Tricksters would have bombed more than half of the City, resulting in the death of thousands. Or the fact that the Flash was as much a victim of the particle accelerator explosion as the rest of the metahumans. He just chose a different path – he chose to _help_ people. You may think attacking **@ColdAsIce** will detract from the fact that you have no leg to stand on, but you are **_wrong_**. What does the fact that they appreciate Captain Cold have to do with anything? In case you haven’t been paying attention to the world, Captain Cold is not the bad guy anymore. Damien Darhk or Zoom, now _those_ are who you should be complaining about. Not Captain Cold, and definitely **not** the Flash.

Ray pushed away from the computer to turn back to his experiments, the annoyance still present. He might not have been in contact with his former team, but he had received emails from both Cisco and Barry that had made it evident that Snart was helping them more often than he liked to admit. To see someone try to discredit that, and try to discredit all of the Flash’s achievements at the same time?

It _infuriated_ Ray.

He was sitting back in front of the computer before he realized it.

> **@ColdAsIce:** Your concern is admirable, scienceshit, but unnecessary. We were discussing the _Flash_ , not anything or anyone else.

Ray frowned at his screen. So much for gratitude. He rolled his eyes. Yet, he could not keep himself from typing out a quick response.

> **@letssciencethisshit:** You’re right. I don’t know _what_ I was thinking taking part in an open forum and siding with the one person that was not trying to damn the Flash for literally everything going wrong in the world. Don’t worry, Elsa, I won’t do it again.

He jammed the enter button with a scowl, and was quick to close the tabs open on his computer. The anger was still simmering under his skin, but he tried to push it away and focus on the experiments he had in front of him. The forum fell to the back of his mind as he threw himself back into his work, and the hours passed before he cast a glance at his phone and noticed a notification that had him back in front of his computer.

There was an email from the forum, and he clicked on it, a little confused. His confusion cleared when he realized he had not switched off the notification for new comments, and that **ColdAsIce** had responded to him.

Ray was a little apprehensive as he opened up the thread again.

> **@ColdAsIce:** There’s no need to get your panties in a twist, Olaf. I’m sure Captain Cold appreciates your dedication. Would you like a Number One Fan medal? Would that make you feel better?

The scientist’s jaw dropped. Of all the rude and inconsiderate comments!

> **@letssciencethisshit:** I don’t really care if Cold appreciates me or not, Frosty. These people are trying to call the Flash out on trusting Captain Cold, saying that he is making a mistake. Captain Cold has proved to be on the Flash’s side, on Central City’s side. I’m not going to sit back and let someone insult the people trying their best to protect the City.

He did not expect the response to appear as fast as it did.

> **@ColdAsIce:** You’re really gunning for that medal, aren’t you, Einstein? How’re you so sure this isn’t some long game Cold is playing?

Ray raised an eyebrow.

> **@letssciencethisshit:** This coming from someone whose username is **@ColdAsIce**? If you really thought that, I don’t think you’d be on this forum, with _that_ username.

The reply was instantaneous.

> **@ColdAsIce: @letssciencethisshit** Touché.

He huffed out a laugh, tension he had not realized had been gathering at the base of his neck dissipating as he leaned back in his seat. He could not say why he had felt a need to defend Snart, except that he had fought alongside the man and liked to think that he knew him.

For all his faults and for all his claims to the contrary, Leonard Snart was not an evil man. In fact, Ray would go as far as to say that he was a _good_ man. It was evident in the way he had chosen to be better upon their arrival in Central City. Yes, there were the occasional heists made by Cold and his Rogues, but they would be on people taking advantage of the less fortunate.

Ray could hardly fault the Rogues playing Robin Hood. Though Robin Hood himself had left much to be desired, his legacy was something to be respected.

He signed off for the night, cricking his neck, his mind still on the conversation he had just had. It was – interesting, to interact with someone who did not know who he was. Their conversation was not coloured by Ray’s former role as ATOM, or even by his being Ray Palmer.

It was simply a conversation between two people who thought the Flash was doing good in Central City, and who thought Captain Cold was doing good as well.

Idly, he wondered if he would see the other online again.

* * *

There was a message from **ColdAsIce** waiting for him when he dragged himself to his computer the next evening. He had ignored his computer in favour of his experiments and his tablet, having had a breakthrough in the early morning and thrown himself into his work during the day.

He had not expected the message, but he could not deny that he was happy to see it.

> From: **ColdAsIce**  
>  To: **letssciencethisshit**
> 
> You haven’t appeared to valiantly defend Captain Cold’s honour all day. Are you alive? Have you conceded? We’ll have to revoke your Number One Fan medal…

There was a smirk on Ray’s lips as he stared at the message. Amusement lurked in his eyes as he typed out a short response.

> From: **letssciencethisshit**  
>  To: **ColdAsIce**
> 
> What did you do before I had an account? Did you stalk some poor other user? Did you drop them like a hot potato after our conversation last night?
> 
> Is that what _I_ have to look forward to??

He bit his lip as he pressed ‘send’. Ray knew his message could be read as a little flirty, but honestly, this was the most relaxed he had felt in a long time. It was just a little bit of harmless fun. 

> From: **ColdAsIce**  
>  To: **letssciencethisshit**
> 
> Don’t you worry your pretty little head. You’re my one and only.

Ray laughed under his breath.

> From: **letssciencethisshit**  
>  To: **ColdAsIce**
> 
> I’m flattered. That might be the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.

The sad thing was that it was true. He pushed that thought away.

> From: **ColdAsIce**  
>  To: **letssciencethisshit**
> 
> You need better people in your life, clearly.

The scientist shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips.

> From: **letssciencethisshit**  
>  To: **ColdAsIce**
> 
> Are you _offering_? And here I thought you were an ass.

His new companion responded instantly.

> From: **ColdAsIce**  
>  To: **letssciencethisshit**
> 
> You take that back, I **am** an ass!

Ray could not keep the chuckles at bay. His chair wobbled with the force of his laughter.

> From: **letssciencethisshit**  
>  To: **ColdAsIce**
> 
> Calm down, snowman, I won’t tell anyone. Your reputation is safe.

The wait for **ColdAsIce** to respond was short. It seemed that much like him, the other was also sitting at their computer and waiting for replies.

> From: **ColdAsIce**  
>  To: **letssciencethisshit**
> 
> Good. I would hate to have to hurt Captain Cold’s Number One Fan. Who knows what sort of connections you may have?

Ray rolled his eyes and tapped out his response.

> From: **letssciencethisshit**  
>  To: **ColdAsIce**  
> 
> And we’re back to that again?

He leaned back in his chair as he waited.

> From: **ColdAsIce**  
>  To: **letssciencethisshit**
> 
> Yes, yes, we are. Your crush on Captain Cold is quite obvious, after all.

“Oh shit,” Ray breathed to himself, wide-eyed as he stared at the message. If someone who had never met him before in his life had recognized his feelings then – he cut off the thought. He was not going to think about it.

It was not as if he was planning to ever see any of his former team again. Even if any of them _had_ figured out his apparently unsubtle crush on Snart, it would make no difference.

> From: **letssciencethisshit  
>  ** To: **ColdAsIce**
> 
> It’s not like I’m ever going to meet the man, so I _can_ safely crush from afar. He’s gone from calling himself the villain to being a hero for Central City. It’s commendable.
> 
>  
> 
> From: **ColdAsIce**  
>  To: **letssciencethisshit**
> 
> He’s a **_criminal_**.
> 
>  
> 
> From: **letssciencethisshit**  
>  To: **ColdAsIce**  
> 
> He **was** a criminal. And even then, he had a code. I can respect that.

There were no more messages after that, and Ray was a little disappointed. He thought that someone with a username so obviously geared towards Captain Cold would be a little more accepting to his views, but apparently he was wrong.

He left his computer on in the hopes that there would be another message even as he went back to his lab and threw himself into his work.

> From: **ColdAsIce**  
>  To: **letssciencethisshit**
> 
> Your crush is a little embarrassing, Newton.

* * *

It became a daily occurrence, to not just talk to **ColdAsIce** – who Ray had started mentally referring to as Icy, if only because he was sure the other would **_hate_** it – but also for them to tease Ray about his crush on Captain Cold. He would never admit it to anyone, but Ray counted Icy as one of his closest friends. They were easy to talk to, and they had no idea who he was.

The anonymity was a weight off Ray’s back.

Ray was still in contact with Cisco and Barry, and Iris had gotten wind of the fact that they knew where Ray was working and bullied Barry into getting Ray’s number. She called him every few days to make sure he was taking care of himself, and just to chat.

It was nice having people who cared for him with no agenda.

Cisco was the only person to know that Ray had ventured onto the forums he had been linked to, and after a bout of laughter at Ray’s expense, had been enthusiastic about Ray interacting with people, even if it was only on the internet. But for some reason, Ray kept his budding friendship with Icy from Cisco.

A few weeks after Ray had made his account, Cisco sent him an email with a link to the forum, and a brief message of _‘thought this would interest you’_. The scientist was intrigued, and he clicked on the link and was directed to a thread about the ATOM. 

Ray froze for a second. He knew Cisco still held out hope that he would don the suit again, and join up with Team Flash on a permanent basis, but Ray had no desire for it. He had attempted at being a hero, and he had found he was not built for it.

Scrolling through the thread, he found that majority of the forum’s users agreed. Ray found himself nodding to some of the comments posted, asking what the ATOM had ever done for anyone and why there were people still caring about him. A huff, wry and bitter, escaped his lips when he read a comment calling the ATOM irrelevant.

He could believe that.

He paused his reading, breath catching in his throat when a familiar username caught his eye. His fingers hovered above the keyboard, and Ray fought with himself. Did he really want to read what **ColdAsIce** had to say about the ATOM?

> **@ColdAsIce:** None of you assholes know what you’re talking about. The ATOM is a good man who has done nothing but try to help people. He definitely does not deserve this shit. So shut the fuck up.

Ray stared at the words in shock. He could barely comprehend what he was reading. How could anyone believe that? _Why_ would anyone believe that?

> **@letssciencethisshit:** **@ColdAsIce** If the ATOM is supposed to be some sort of hero, then where is he now? Zoom is still running around hurting people. The Flash could use all the help he can get.

He did not expect the other to be online, so he was surprised when he received a reply quickly.

> **@ColdAsIce:** **@letssciencethisshit** The Flash is a meta with the same abilities as Zoom. The ATOM has no powers and is more vulnerable to Zoom’s attacks.

Ray was frowning as he took in Icy’s words.

> **@letssciencethisshit: @ColdAsIce** Exactly. He’s powerless against any meta he might ever go against. He’s useless in a fight. The ATOM is nothing more than a rip-off of Iron Man. Except more of a coward.

It was odd insulting himself in the third person, but Ray did not regret it. These were thoughts he had been harbouring for some time, and it was a relief to get them off his chest.

> **@ColdAsIce: @letssciencethisshit _NEVER_** call the ATOM a coward again. He is far from. The fact that he doesn’t have powers and still chooses to fight so that people don’t get hurt makes him a better person than anybody else.

The vehemence of the response had Ray leaning back from his computer screen. He swallowed a little nervously before carefully tapping out a response.

> **@letssciencethisshit: @ColdAsIce** But he’s not fighting anymore, is he? If he’s that good a person, then where is he?

Ray closed his eyes and rubbed at his face. He did not know why he was picking a fight with Icy, except that it was a sore spot. The ATOM was a sore spot for him, and to have someone he thought of as a friend try and defend one of the worst ideas Ray had ever had made him want to scream.

He glanced back at his computer screen and narrowed his eyes when he saw the notification for a message. Apprehensive, he clicked on it.

> From: **ColdAsIce  
>  ** To: **letssciencethisshit**
> 
> For someone who defends _Captain Cold_ , you sure are dismissive of the ATOM.

He let out a hiss and considered his words before composing his reply. 

> From: **letssciencethisshit**  
>  To: **ColdAsIce**
> 
> Captain Cold is helping the Flash fight Zoom. He has no powers either. So why is the ATOM not doing anything?

The response was quick.

> From: **ColdAsIce**  
>  To: **letssciencethisshit**
> 
> I’m sure he has his reasons.

“Yeah,” Ray muttered bitterly to himself. “He realized he made a horrible hero.” He squared his jaw and typed his response.

> From: **letssciencethisshit  
>  ** To: **ColdAsIce**
> 
> For your sake, I hope they’re good ones.

He did not bother waiting for a reply, shutting his computer down and stalking to his lab, mood sour. He threw himself into his projects with a furious fervor, shutting everything else out.

The next few days followed as such, with Ray focusing on his projects and little else. Every time he paused for a breather, Icy’s words floated to the front of his brain, and Ray would gnash his teeth. There was a perpetual scowl on his lips, and not even successfully figuring out the way to stabilize one of the projects Cisco had asked for help in could lift his spirits.

He had to steel himself when Cisco asked him to meet him at STAR Labs and show him his findings. Ray could not refuse, not when it was a reasonable request.

It was just his luck that Cisco was not the only one in the lab when he reached. Snart and Rory were both there, and Cisco was bent over what looked like Rory’s gun. He paused in the door, preparing himself.

Rory was the one to speak after he had been noticed by the former criminal duo. “Haircut,” he narrowed his eyes. “You’re alive.”

Ray forced a smile on his face. He had not bothered with faking enthusiasm for much since they had returned to 2016, but he had a lifetime of practice. He shrugged easily. “I’ve been busy.”

Thankfully, Cisco turned to him and beamed. “You’re here! Good, give me a second and then you can show me what you figured out?” He turned back to the gun without waiting for an answer. Ray’s grin grew a little more genuine and he strode over to the shorter man. “Oh hey,” Cisco looked up, still smiling, “how’s that other project going?”

Ray grimaced slightly. “It’s going,” he replied. “I think I have an idea on how to make it more accessible for daily use, so I can get the specs to you in a couple of days.”

“Awesome, awesome,” Cisco nodded, making a few adjustments to the gun on the table. He flicked a couple of switches and the gun hummed.

Ray had to remind himself not to start in surprise when Rory stalked over to them.

“It’s done?” he asked, leaning forward.

“Almost,” Cisco responded absently, screwing the covering back into place. “There, done!”

Rory snatched the gun off the table and turned it in his hands, a grin on his face. Cisco frowned, but did not say anything. Snart stalked up behind Rory and, Ray was not surprised there was a smirk on his face.

“As always, it’s been a pleasure, _Cis_ co,” he inclined his head once, barely glanced at Ray, and strode out the door.

Cisco glanced at Ray, his grin returning. He nudged the taller man, a mischievous look in his eyes. “Let’s science this shit,” he teased.

Ray made a face in response, rolling his eyes. Neither scientist noticed Snart stop in his tracks and turn back, shock on his face.

Cisco mock-pouted up at his friend. “Aww, but Ray,” he whined.

The older man crossed his arms, but there was amusement present in his features. “Do you still want my help or not,” he demanded.

The engineer snickered and turned back to the table. “Alright, alright, let’s,” he was cut off by Ray slapping his hand over Cisco’s mouth.

The younger of the two gestured for Ray to follow him further into the lab. Snart followed their movement with his eyes, still staring. As the two scientists began to discuss their project, Snart frowned to himself and spun on his heel and stalked off.

* * *

Ray’s mood had lifted in the time he had spent with Cisco. It was hard pressed to spend more than five minutes with a cheerful Cisco and not be cheered up. He dared anyone to challenge that hypothesis.

He exited STAR Labs, paying the least bit of attention to his surroundings. It was only the familiar figure leaning against his car that made him pause. His steps slowed.

“ _Ray_ mond,” Snart drawled.

“Snart,” Ray answered carefully, keeping his tone light. “Can I help you with something?”

 Snart shrugged, pushing himself off the car and moving closer to Ray. “I have a few questions,” he said. “Starting with where you’ve been.”

 Ray moved past him and towards his car, even as he tossed his reply over his shoulder, “Like I said, I’ve been busy.”

“ _Really_.” Nobody should have been able to infuse so much sarcasm into one word. “Come now, Olaf, I expect a better answer than that.”

The scientist froze at the nickname. “What,” he tried. “What did you call me?” He turned around slowly.

The look on Snart’s face was enough to make Ray blanch. Of all the people in the world, his online friend _would_ turn out to be Snart. Panic made him mutter a, “Fuck,” under his breath, shake his head in denial and get into his car.

He ignored Snart’s expression melting into one of annoyance, focusing instead of driving off and trying to keep himself from hyperventilating.

Ray drove to his apartment quickly. He bypassed his room and the kitchen to head to his lab, and threw himself into the other projects he had been discussing with Cisco, because the alternative was thinking about the fact that the person on the other side of the screen, the person he had been flirting with on and off - the person he had admitted his crush on Captain Cold to! – was none other than Leonard Snart himself.

He had told Captain Cold he had a crush on him.

Fuck his life.

It was much easier to dive headfirst into his work, so that was what Ray did. Everything else faded away, and he could pretend the day had not happened. It was only when his stomach growled that he stepped away from his workbench and exited the lab.

He stopped in his tracks when he realized that someone was sitting at the kitchen table. Snart was lounging in the chair, leaning back with his legs up on the table. Ray closed his eyes and exhaled noisily through his nose before ignoring the other man and taking out leftovers from the night before.

“ _Ray_ mond,” Snart snapped after a few minutes of silence.

Ray did not respond, taking out a plate and some cutlery for himself. He heard Snart huff, but refused to look back. Snart was moving about, he could tell, and Ray had a wild moment of hope that Snart would leave.

That was when Snart gripped Ray’s upper arm and turned him around.

“Why would you say all those things about yourself,” Snart demanded, glaring furiously up at Ray.

Ray frowned in confusion. “What? About the ATOM?”

Snart rolled his eyes. “No,” he snarked, “about the other guy. Yes, about the ATOM!”

The younger man tried to take a step back, but there was no space between him and the kitchen counter. Snart had a very firm grip on Ray’s arm, and Ray was stuck. “Because it was true?”

Snart’s grip on Ray’s arm tightened. “You went on a mission to save the world from Vandal Savage without knowing if you would make it back,” he stated drily. “How is that the actions of a coward.”

The question sounded like more of a statement, and Ray did not know how to respond to it. “I’m sorry?”

The shorter man huffed, letting go of Ray’s arm and taking a step back. He crossed his arms across his chest. “You defend Captain Cold, but trash the ATOM. Why would you do that?”

Ray crossed his arms across his chest too, but where Snart looked disinterested, Ray looked and felt defensive. “You stepped up when we came back,” his voice was soft, but it carried in the otherwise silent kitchen. “I hid out in a lab.” He met Snart’s gaze with a flat stare. “Captain Cold is protecting Central City, and the ATOM has disappeared. That’s why.”

“Why did the ATOM disappear?” Snart looked as surprised that the question passed his lips as Ray felt.

The scientist bit the inside of his cheek and looked away. “I built the suit to try and help people,” he started. “I never quite managed to do that successfully.” Brown eyes turned contemplative as he thought out loud, “Maybe I can find someone who could use the suit as it was intended.”

What might have been a snarl passed Snart’s lips. Ray turned to look back at him in shock. “What?”

Snart shook his head. “The ATOM isn’t about just the suit,” he stepped closer to Ray again and poked him in the chest. “It’s about the man wearing the suit.”

Ray wanted to argue, wanted to push back, but something in Snart’s tone and the fierce glare on his face had him wide-eyed and tongue-tied. He tried to shake his head, but Snart’s glare grew fiercer, and he poked Ray in the chest again. “Do **not** argue with me, Einstein.”

Abruptly, Snart backed away, the gleam in his eyes softening to something more teasing than angry. “So,” he drawled. “You have a crush on Captain Cold.”

Without thinking, Ray rolled his eyes and huffed, “We’re back to that again?” and then froze.

Snart seemed inordinately pleased at his response. “Y-e-s,” he drew out. “We’re back to that again.”

His cheeks were flushed. Ray knew that the colour was heightened, and he wondered at Snart’s lack of pointed teasing. He narrowed his eyes slightly, guard still up. “What of it?” he asked warily.

The other man raised an eyebrow. “I seem to recall you saying something about never meeting the man and being safe to crush from afar.” The other eyebrow joined the first as Snart stared at Ray. “I have to admit, it was flattering.”

“You’re welcome,” Ray shot back sarcastically. “Is that all?”

“No,” Snart retorted, but he made no move to say anything else. Ray scowled and opened his mouth to complain, or _something_ , but Snart was in his space again. There was no where to move, and they were pressed together, and Snart was leaning up, and – _oh,_ Ray thought.

This was unexpected.

But it was a good unexpected, he thought as he kissed back. One hand was cupping the back of Snart’s head, the other was wrapped around Snart’s waist. One of Snart’s hands was fisted in Ray’s hair, the other was tugging at his collar, pulling him further into the kiss.

The kiss deepened, and Ray backed Snart into the kitchen table.

Yeah, Ray may not have seen this coming, but he definitely did not mind it.

> * * *
> 
> **@ColdAsIce:** Somebody let the new guy on the block know **@letssciencethisshit** is Captain Cold’s Number One Fan. He has a medal and everything.
> 
> **@letssciencethisshit: @ColdAsIce** I hate you.
> 
> **@ColdAsIce: @letssciencethisshit** Love you too, Doc.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a lot of relatively sad headcanons about Ray's self-esteem issues etc that led to this. *shrugs* Whoops? Come yell at me on [tumblr](http://ankahikoibaat.tumblr.com/).


End file.
